Insights on a Scaled Back Obesity Care Bill |
Tell us what you think about the revised Treat to Reduce Obesity Act (TROA)
TROA is a bipartisan bill first introduced in 2013 that will expand insurance coverage for Medicare beneficiaries to include:
*Obesity screening;
*Treatment from a diverse range of healthcare providers specializing in obesity care; and
*FDA-approved obesity medications.
On June 27, 2024, a pared down version of TROA was voted on by the House Ways & Means Committee. While this marks a pivotal moment for the bill--which has been reintroduced several times over eleven years--it still needs to clear the full House; pass the Senate; and receive presidential endorsement to become law.
Here's what the current version of the bill includes:
1) Medicare Part D will only cover obesity medications if you were taking them for one year before aging into Medicare (i.e., your current insurance plan covered them, which many don't.)
2) If you are uninsured; on a private insurance plan that does not cover obesity medications; or on Medicaid, you remain ineligible for Medicare Part D coverage once you age into the program.
3) A re-evaluation of Medicare coverage determination for intensive behavioral therapy, which would help older adults build healthy habits that treat obesity.
NCOA, together with over 60 organizations committed to promoting older adults' rights to obesity care, will continue to work on more equitable and expanded coverage of obesity treatments.
To guide that work, we would like to know your opinion on the version of TROA that passed out of committee: